The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-13

10 III your hngers, you can S.S
them for five cents apiece, and then
come home and l will tell you what
else to do"
Then the boys began to see ahead a
little, and somehow they felt queer"
and VIII said, going out:
Tom, mammals too much for US
this time!"
Mr. Wood waited upon the boys with
pleasure, and thought nothing strange
when they bought the gingham-though
the boys themselves hardly knew ging-
ham from calico, only, as Tom said,
bingham turns, you know" and as
Hannah's apron was fine check, they
knew what to ask for
But when they asked for thimbles,
and had to fit their own fingers, Mr..
Wood said: well. now, you must be
industrious boys, | must say; there
ism a boy in ten knows how to sew;
but it's good thing to know, and
your mother must be 4 very sensible
woman to set you at it"
Dear! how their faces tinglcd! and
very glad were they to escape into the
street.
It'll get all over the place, Tom"
'Of course, Win, and I'd rather have
ten talkings from mamma, and some
of papa's whippings than that"
Now, boys" said Mrs. Lathbury,
upon their return, II hope you have
made a good purchase. Yes, indeed, ;"
she said, as she unrolled the parcel,
'you have done nicely. Now, | will
furnish you with the needles and
thread, as | fear you have not much
left over, and give you your first lesson
in sewing"
Not word more-nothing like II
am grieved to learn my boys have done
an unkindness no, nothing like
that; in fact no talk" of any kind,
but just two yards and a half of ging-
ham to each boy, needle, thread,
the fitting of thimbles, and all was
ready.
At first it required some patience to
teach the boys how to handle their
work properly, and how to pull the
needle through without getting it UNI
threaded, but Mrs. Lathbury perse-
vered, and finally the boys were left to
themselves, and their mother resumed
her reading.
For time the novelty of it pleased
VIII, who always saw the fun"
in any thing at once, and he said to
Tom:
Mammals put the check on us this
time
But Tom did not feel like punning,
and he answered, gruilly:
keep still, VIII; | feel as clumsy as
a bear with needle"
mo quarreling, boys, or you will
have to take out all you have DONE
That was the only stern thing their
mother said.
Oh, what a lesson in patience was
that for boys, and how tiresome it grew
after little
So hard to keep from quarrcling
when the thread 'kinked up" and so
many other things happened.
AT last Mrs. Lathbury said: "You
may put up your work now, boys; it is
nearly time for supper, and after sup
per, as you have your lessons to get,
there will be no time for sewing, but
tomorrow when you come from school
you may take it up again, and so on
every day until the aprons are finished"
"Well, my dears," said papa at the
supper table, II presume you have been
good boys to-day, as usual"
viii looked at Tom, Tom looked at
Will, and both looked at mamma.
Mamma said nothing, and Mr.. Lath-
bury went on:
by the way, Jeanette, you wished
to see me to-day; what was it about,
my dear??"
Then mamma had not told, after all.
Wasn't she lovely?"
'Oh, never mind, Richard; at the
time l needed your help very much,
but afterward l found | could do with
out it.
IHcl w Ill Nllhcu III L OH us DhucH
as to say she had, but papa caught the
wink, and then it all had to come out.
"Thomas! William! l am ashamed
of you! however, | shall let your mother
follow up her treatment this time, but
if necessary she may call on me to Gn-
ish it"
The rest of the meal was passed in
silence. But when they were all going
up stairs again the boys heard papa
say: "Jeannette, you are Il wonderful
little woman.
"Oh, Richard! did the best l could
without YOU" and that was all that
mamma said, but the boys wondered
why she looked SO happy after that,
when they knew they had done nothing
to make her glad.
1t would take too long to tell what
happened every afternoon while the
boys worked on their aprons, for as
the days were short. aud it so soon
grew dark, they were working at them
u long, long time.
Hannah forgave them before the
third day, but Mrs. Lathbury remained